


untitled

by bertie



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Vancouver Canucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:36:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertie/pseuds/bertie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mason is oblivious to Alex's affections and it takes a while until he finally understands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	untitled

It starts out simple enough. Alex is charmed by Mason’s sweet little smiles and his playful personality. His adoration is obvious to every man on the team; all except for the recipient. Mason isn’t even tempted when he finds notes taped in his locker (most written in both French and English). He just smiles and keeps them behind his jersey, and Alex crumples from his spot across the room.

Alex finally decides, after heckling by Ryan and Kevin, to say something. He invites Mason out to dinner, but when the bill comes, Mason suggests they split it down the middle. Alex slinks back home to nurse his wounded ego and ignore every text or call from Ryan. Word travels as Mason mentions the dinner and soon half of the team is tossing rolled up tape balls in Alex’s direction when Mason isn’t looking. It spirals into something completely unintended.

Silent pining across the locker room turns into fruitless attempts at dates and Alex begins to get fed up. He grinds his teeth when Mason invites Jason along, but obliges because he is a good friend. Ryan knocks him with his hip during practice and Kevin tries to trip him with his stick. Alex takes it because he’s too caught up watching Mason take slap shots at the goal. The way he winds up and then his stick releases like a coil and the puck goes flying. He’s mesmerized and doesn’t realize until he’s falling to the ice. The guys dissolve into uncontrollable laughter and coach decides the entire practice is a loss.

Even enlisting Jason’s help is unhelpful. He jabs at Alex when Mason isn’t around, but really turns it on when he is. “Alex has the best get-togethers,” Jason suggests one day. “You should really hang at his place sometime. It’s amazing.” Mason then gets several guys to join him, and Alex is suddenly the host of a fantasy football party. He plays along and he gets to sit next to Mason as they all battle over players. He takes whoever’s left, not caring as long as he can ask Mason if he has everything he needs and let their legs brush when they reach for chips or soda or beer. He gets drunk on the leftover beer when everyone leaves, calls Ryan crying that Mason will never love him, but most of what he’s saying is in French and Ryan just tells him to sleep it off.

It takes more than two and a half months for Alex to get his point across, but even then Mason is sure he misunderstood. (Those dinners were just to talk about their lives outside of hockey and those parties were so the guys could realize how great Alex’s house was (he has a _pool_ ) and the notes were just to bring him out of his funk. Alex definitely couldn’t be in love with him. Alex is much better suited for a guy like Ryan or Kevin or even Maxim, definitely not Mason.) But when Alex finally kisses him in front of all the guys as they wait to board their plane to Nashville, Mason _gets it_.

Alex tries to bolt, terrified of facing Mason if he doesn’t feel the same, but a wall of teammates blocks his way and Mason is pulling him back. Mason cups Alex’s face and kisses him with more passion than Alex expected from him, and _oh they were made for each other._

Mason smiles and blushes and Alex is floored and can only stammer out a half formed, “J-J’aime.”

Mason giggles delightedly and hugs Alex around the neck. Alex can only stare dazedly at his teammates as they applaud and cheer and whistle and cat call. He smiles almost drunkenly and holds Mason tight against his chest as if it would keep him there forever.

“How long?” Mason asks on the flight as he sorts through the basket of granola bars.

Alex flushes red and turns his face, chewing on a too-big bite of a cookie Ryan had found.

“Hey,” Mason says, all gentle and sweet and _him._ He turns Alex’s face back and touches his cheek. “A long time?”

“Since January. But I’ve loved you since you joined the team.”

(It was now April.)

Mason covers his face. “God. And I never caught on. I’m such a ditz!”

Alex stands and takes Mason’s hands away from his face. “Non, it’s—you are not a ditz.”

Mason goes limp when Alex kisses him, withdraws when Alex’s tongue seeks entrance to his mouth. “Just…” his voice drops to barely above a whisper and his eyes downcast, “not yet.”

Alex pulls Mason into their seats and cradles him close. “Whatever you want.”

And he means it. Anything Mason asks for he gets. The team accuses Alex of being whipped but the way Mason smiles explains it all. (None of them can tell him no.)

…

A week later and they’re still on the road. It’s Alex birthday and he wakes up to find Mason still curled against him, snoozing peacefully. Alex kisses him on the forehead, fully intending on letting him sleep, but just the soft pressure wakes him. Mason smiles and yawns and Alex is mesmerized. He kisses Mason, reminding himself to keep his tongue in his own mouth, and enjoys the little noises Mason makes. He whimpers and sighs and makes soft little pleading noises that keep Alex thorough hooked. Alex lets his hand find Mason’s waist, so thin and little it makes Alex sort of protective. He feels his stomach knot up when he touches Mason’s spine and hears the intake of breath.

“I’m sorry,” he says after he pulls away. Mason’s lips are pink and bruised and he still looks sleepy.

“It’s alright. It doesn’t hurt much anymore. Come back,” he pleads, enjoying the way Alex kisses his nose before returning to his previous task.

Alex never knew kissing without tongue could be so great, but Mason never ceases to surprise him. The way Mason responds so much more eagerly and wriggles a little in his arms makes up for the lack of “French-ness” to the kiss. Alex doesn’t mind so much when Mason is panting in his face, shivering excitedly.

“Tu es très beau,” Alex whispers, kissing Mason’s ear.

“I don’t…”

Alex kisses Mason sweetly. “I know. I said you are very beautiful.”

Mason’s cheeks turn pink and he tries to hide his smile, but Alex tilts Mason’s head back and kisses him again.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

Mason doesn’t answer, but he cups Alex’s cheek tentatively. He only replies with a soft, “I love you.”

Alex smiles and nuzzles Mason’s cheek, bumps their noses together and kisses the corner of his mouth. Mason arches and curls against Alex.

“Let me take you out to dinner tonight,” Mason says, scratches his fingers through Alex’s hair. “But we can do whatever you’d like today.”

Alex purrs something sweet in French and Mason catches a swift _oui_ before he’s being kissed again. Alex rubs Mason’s side, brings his hand up to cup his jaw.

That day is spent dashing between shop awnings as the rain pours, but Alex is content and happy and keeps Mason close. He lets Alex buy him a macramé bracelet, green and blue for their team, but Mason insists on buying him one as well, a red one because it looked so good against his pale skin.

…

Days later Mason is lying in Alex’s bed as he unpacks. He’s curled around Alex’s pillows (“There’s so _many_!” “Oui, I like them.”), looking thoughtful and little bit sad.

“What’s wrong, chéri?” Alex asks as he’s hanging up the blue dress shirt Mason loves.

Mason sighs through his nose, hugs the pillow a little tighter. Alex turns and smiles comfortingly at him.

“Why are you sad, Mase?”

“Does it frustrate you that I don’t let you kiss me…deeper than?” Mason sighs all frustrated and impatient with himself.

Alex just sits on the bed and urges Mason to sit up. “Mason, darling, you do not need to change to please me. I love you because you are _you._ You are _my_ Mason. I do not love your tongue.”

Mason giggles into Alex’s shoulder and squeals when Alex tickles him. They wrestle on the bed, Alex’s long fingers finding all the right places to make Mason wail. Mason rolls and tries to fight his way out of Alex’s grasp, but Alex is too quick and too strong. Then suddenly they’re kissing and Mason was panting so his mouth was parted and Alex is drawn to the wet heat of Mason’s mouth. Instead of pulling away, Mason just tenses in Alex’s arms momentarily. He relaxes after a minute, but hardly reacts to Alex’s explorations. After a while he presses Alex away, and his expression makes Alex a little less kiss-drunk.

“I’m so sorry. I thought you wanted—” Alex backs off, scrambles almost completely off the bed.

“No, baby, it’s okay,” Mason says quickly as he reaches for Alex.

When Alex is sure Mason isn’t upset, he returns to his side and scoops Mason up into his lap. It’s comforting to hold Mason so close and have him just curl up in his arms so trustingly.

Mason sighs a little too shaky to sound confident, and Alex smoothes his hand over Mason’s curls, kisses the top of his head.

“It was the best kiss I’ve had, but I still don’t enjoy the tongue,” he finally says, and Alex is just glad Mason doesn’t hate him.

“It’s alright. Whatever makes you comfortable,” Alex croons, strokes his thumb along Mason’s hip. “Je t’aime.”

Mason smiles and rests his head against Alex’s chest. “I love you, too.”

…

The guys bother them every week to find out if they’ve had sex yet, and it absolutely mortifies Mason. Alex just takes it in stride, even the insults to his nationality, and keeps his arm firm around Mason’s waist. Sometimes the way Alex seems to court Mason is answer enough with hands no lower than the hips and kisses chaste and sweet. Mason soaks it up, adores the little affections, and has no qualms about their so-called “slow as molasses” relationship.

It’s over the summer that they eventually do have sex. They’re deciding what to do that day, still in bed on a rainy July Wednesday, when Alex’s hand ventures down Mason’s thigh and hitches it up over his hip. Mason gasps softly, accepts Alex’s kisses and even helps Alex push his shorts off. Their underwear follows and Alex kisses Mason’s chest when he pulls off his t-shirt.

“Lay back, darling,” Alex purrs, kissing Mason’s neck and ear.

Mason does as he’s told, watching eagerly as Alex lavishes attention on every part of his body. A little nibble on his hip bone, soft butterfly kisses on the insides of his thighs, and long fingers just barely skim his belly, driving him wild.

When Alex presses little open-mouthed kisses to Mason’s abdomen, Mason hesitantly tangles his fingers in dark hair. It earns him a grumble of satisfaction, but Alex absolutely moans when Mason’s legs part slightly.

“ _Oh_ ,” Mason calls out when Alex leaves brushed kisses across his pelvis. His hips lift automatically and Mason whimpers.

“Is this your first time?” The question is gentle and Mason knows his answer will be taken to heart. Alex would never hurt him.

Mason shakes his head, and Alex’s eyes sparkle excitedly. He has Mason crying out, head thrown back and hands fisted in the sheets and his hair, short moments later. When Mason is wrung out, panting and shivering as the sweat cools on his skin, Alex leaves kisses on his jaw and shoulder.

“Let me,” Mason pleads, touching Alex’s hip. When Alex nods, kissing Mason on the forehead in gratitude. “How?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” he answers, not intending to be spread out on his back with Mason coaxing the absolute filthiest words from his mouth. He underestimated Mason by far.

…

At the charity golf tournament days later, Alex is protective of Mason and Mason is sweet and a little bit clingy.

“They did it,” Kevin remarks to Ryan, who nods in agreement. Alex holds Mason a bit tighter, snarling at them until Mason laughs.

“All this from six months ago, Mason didn’t even know Alex was into him,” Maxim whispers to Chris, who is a little attached to Max, staying close and smiling devastatingly at him. Max grins and sneaks a kiss when he thinks no one is looking, but Alex and Mason see from their shady spot by the house.

It’s far from where they began, but Alex still leaves Mason notes and Mason still keeps every single one and sometimes Mason let’s Alex kiss him with too much tongue and doesn’t complain until he has to wipe the saliva off his chin. They’re perfectly flawed and complete one another in a way thought impossible.


End file.
